British tourists planning a holiday in Greece have been warned to be on their guard after anti-austerity protests in the country turned violent yesterday.

A wave of violence gripped the Greek capital Athens – killing three and wounding dozens more - as masked anarchists hurled Molotov cocktails and paving stones at police and smashed shopfronts.

Closed off: Members of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) wave flags from the Acropolis site in Athens

The protests are set to continue today as the country recovers from a 24-hour nationwide general strike which grounded all flights to and from the country.

Many major tourist sites in Athens including the Acropolis and all
other ancient sites have been closed while police said 18 people had
been injured and 12 arrested for carrying weapons and resisting
authorities.

Frances Tuke from the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) said: “The Government in Greece is trying to stabilise the economy - of which tourism is a large part - they will do everything in their power to make sure that they welcome guests this summer and everyone there will aim to make sure holidaymakers will have a great time.

“However we would always suggest that anyone travelling abroad should look at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office advice.”

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has issued a warning
stating that tourists to Greece should be aware of potential danger
including indiscriminate attacks on places frequented by expatriates
and foreign travellers.

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“Visitors should expect regular
strikes and demonstrations throughout Greece during May,” a statement on the FCO website said.
“You should continue to exercise extreme caution around public
demonstrations and protests in major urban centres in subsequent days.”

According to the CAA over three million Brits visit Greece every year, mostly during the key summer period, however weeks of strikes have raised safety concerns among many tourists about whether the country is safe to visit.

Protests are continuing in the centre of Athens today as residents protest against tough austerity measures designed to bring the country out of financial turmoil

In a bid to boost tourism, Greek Deputy Culture and Tourism Minister Angela Gerkou has called for hotel prices to be frozen at current rates and to allow foreign flagged cruise ships to dock at Greek Island ports.

According to Hotel research company STR Global, hotel occupancy rates in Athens fell by 1.4 per cent in March, even though the country had seen a rise in tourist arrivals earlier in the year.